Complicated Love Shapes
by DalstinKyukiMikileyluv
Summary: Teddy Lupin is sick of living under the shadow of his parent's memories so he does the only thing that he can -run off to America. There he meets a very interesting tribe of Native Americans and learns everything is not quite what it seems in Forks. Polyamorous relationships inside, in case you mind.
1. Running Away is Easy

**Author's Note: The age of majority was changed to 15 by the Ministry of Magic about 5 years after the Battle of Hogwarts when they recognized that most of the people who fought were very young. School still goes to 7th year but going that far is now optional and the curriculum has been changed to reflect this. Also, this story opens about a month before Bella moves to Forks. Thank you for reading!**

I'm tired of the speeches, tired of the pity, but most of all I'm tired of living with Andromeda. Of course I love her, I'm not heartless, but she tries too hard to compensate for my lack of parents. I don't like being forced to live like I'm still a first year, with strict rules and early curfews when I'm at home. I hate sounding ungrateful but I enjoy solitude and freedom.

I don't like being constantly compared to my parents. I no longer want to hear, "your parents were heroes, they died so that you didn't have to," blah, blah all fine well and good but what I want to hear is that I am good at something. Not that my parents were good at this or that I'm just like my father because I always carry chocolate in my left pocket-oddly specific, but okay - and I'm good at the Defense Against Dark Arts or that my mother preferred to change her hair often too. I want to be myself and not some Frankenstein monster of theirs.

I guess I'm bitter. School isn't even an escape for me because I hate my classmates. I don't have it quite as bad as the Potter kids, they can hardly take a breath without someone telling them their father did it first, or even the Weasleys but I still need a change of scenery more than anything, one where the name Lupin belongs to me and me alone. And now that I'm finally going to be 15- in less than a month and I hardly see that as being of any consequence- I'm finally in a position to take one for myself. Technically.

So with my newly printed Apparition license in hand I close my eyes and think hard of the place I've been researching for months. There isn't anything special about the town, which is why I'll like it so much. It's been overlooked, like me. Anyways, it was the first place my eyes landed on the map. Let's call it fate. My Muggle studies tutor, who Andromeda should have monitored better if she didn't want me to leave the first chance I got, told me that it's more than secluded. I worked everything out with the American Minister through owls just a few weeks ago, before I left for Christmas holiday and he said that I was more than welcome. I can't go to their magical school because it doesn't take transfer students but I'm excited for Muggle school.

So Forks, Washington it is.

I walk a few steps and nearly crash into a boy with long, dark hair. My trunk tumbles to the ground.

"What are you doing here?" he asks.

"I'm new here. Really new," I say, just in case these woods belong to his family or something.

He's tall and muscular and the kind of casually attractive that infuriates me. Maybe that's what I should go for when I change my appearance, which I _was_ planning to do in these woods. I've always been jealous of guys like him, the ones who don't have to try.

"That's alright. I'm Jacob Black,always willing to show people around,"he says.

Well..that's strange.

"Teddy Lupin," I say warily.

He smiles awkwardly at me while I tug on the strings of my sweatshirt.

"Teddy," he says, "I like that."

I lift the corners of my mouth into the imitation of a smile.

"I saw you appear out of nowhere," he says.

Immediately I panic. How have the Ministry officials not snapped my wand immediately? My first independent moment and I mess up this badly.

"You couldn't have," I say.

"The elders spoke of your coming, Teddy," Jacob says, "so don't worry or anything."

Don't _worry_? I blink my eyes in confusion. They were waiting for me? Me, _Teddy_ , and not the son of Tonks and Lupin. That alone makes me want to follow him. But this just seems like a bad idea. A very bad idea. Maybe this prophecy thing is a mistake and he'll be obliviated. It was an accident and I am underage, however technically. Darn. I hadn't settled on what my new look would be, if anything. I never do much but I think I'd like to be taller. Now he's seen me and I can't just grow six inches overnight. And in a small town like this, I'm sure I'll see him again. He's sure to remember the materializing boy. He looks at me expectantly and I realize he must have asked me something.

"Why aren't you asking me more questions?" I ask instead of saying anything logical.

"Because I know the answers already. We've all heard them a million times. I could recite the prophecy in my sleep," he says.

"Could you? I'm confused," I say.

He sighs reluctantly. Maybe it's something he was forced to memorize simply by the sheer amount of times he heard it, the way I know stories from the war. I start to tell him that he doesn't have to.

" _A boy is soon coming with secrets long held, repulsed by his past and afraid of himself. A wizard made known by appearing from air brings peace to the people. Uniter of enemies, savior of friends, a long held rivalry through this child will end. An unlikely union: boy, foe, friend, prey, tie together things once torn asunder by pain and history, bloodlust and hunger_ ," Jacob chants.

I laugh out of shock. There's no way I can do anything like that. It must be someone else. Plenty of wizards can apparate. And maybe the words mean someone with an invisibility cloak or potion. It could be anyone, but I know that it isn't me. Jacob crosses his arms. Maybe a Potter. It does always seem to be the Potters.

"I'm sorry," I say, "I just think you have the wrong person."

I adjust my height while talking. I feel like I'm being ridiculous, switching from changing to not changing and back again, but alright. I guess this prophecy or whatever has allowed for some kind of loophole in the International Statute of Secrecy, and since I no longer have to keep it a secret from this guy I'm going to make myself look...better.

"I _don't_. What are you doing?" he asks.

"Fixing myself," I say matter-o-factly.

"What do you need to fix?" he asks.

What do I need to fix, I laugh to myself. What _don't_ I need to change now that Andromeda isn't here to tell me I can't? There's my proximity to the ground, my freckled, my eyes could use darkening, and I've never been in love with my feet. She never let me fix myself. She said it would hurt my self-esteem. I scoffed at her and told her the only thing hurting my self-esteem is my gigantic troll ears.

We get to his house fairly quickly. I guess they were his woods. He leads me to a garage and has me sit on something I think is a workbench.

"What am I doing here?" I ask while propping my trunk beside me.

"The thing is, before we get in there I want to know all of the things they aren't going to ask you," he says.

"Like... what?" I ask.

"Like _why_ you change your appearance. Why you think I have the wrong person. What you like to do, eat, watch on tv. I want to know everything that makes Teddy Lupin you," he says.

There it is again. He seems to care about me and not my past. In this moment I feel more joy than I ever felt at Hogwarts or anywhere else. There's this warmth in my chest. He doesn't want to talk about what I have in common with my parents. He doesn't want me to tell him how I became a Metamorphmagi ( _birth_ ) like everyone else did and he doesn't ask me to look like any celebrities or teachers or friends. He wants to know _me._ He sees _me_.

"I guess I fix myself because I can. If I don't like my height, the curve of my nose, this spot here I can change it until I do like it. So I do," I say.

He's quiet for a moment.

"Can I see what you look like without all the changes?" he asks.

Another question that I've never gotten. I almost don't want to show him, but something about the way he phrased it and the open, accepting look in his eyes makes me let all of my improvements go. I sit before him, a mousy haired boy with pale blue eyes that's too short and has too many freckles on his nose. A boy with giant ears and knobby knees whose very existence screams, " _before picture._ "

"I don't think you should put them back," he says quietly.

I nod my head but peer into a wrench to darken my eyes and lengthen my hair. Have to cover the ears somehow. Jacob stares at me until I return my eyes to their normal color. This is so awkward. It's more...intimate than when Andromeda would make me do it, in a way.

"Er, what else did you say?" I ask to change the subject.

"What do you like to do, eat, watch on tv," he says.

"I like playing wizarding chess and reading. I like roast beef sandwiches and what was the last one? Oh-we don't have those," I say.

He nods.

"How old are you?" he asks.

"14 for a bit more," I say.

"I'm 14 too," he says.

I smile because there's nothing else to do.

"We should go in now," Jacob says, "Signal me if they're too much, okay?"

I'm grateful that if anyone had to be there when I arrived, it was him. I wonder if everyone here is this nice.

"Hey, Dad, I found the boy the elders were talking about," he says while rifling through the refrigerator.

My mouth falls open. How can he say that so casually? Oh, look, I found the answer to that one prophecy. What's for dinner?

"What?" his father asks, properly flummoxed.

"The boy who appears from thin air? His name is Teddy," Jacob says.

I wave awkwardly and sit on a small couch.

"Hello, Teddy. I'm Billy Black. You're how old?" Billy asks.

Or is it Mr. Black? When adults don't introduce themselves the way they want to be addressed I get confused.

"14, sir," I say.

"Just Billy. I'll be right back," he says.

Jacob shrugs and tosses a bowl in my lap as he flings himself onto the couch beside me.

"It's a roast beef Hot Pocket. All we had. Not even sure why we had that, my dad hates roast beef," Jacob says.

Whatever it is, it's really good. Really, really good. I eat about three while Jacob explains the movie he turned on to me.

"But why does it matter?" I ask.

Why does it matter if the girl chooses this boy or that boy? After twenty minutes, I've decided all three of them are stupid.

"It matters because people like stories to have happy endings and there can't be one until she chooses a guy," he says.

"But they're all stupid," I say.

 _But why can't it be a happy ending if she never has to choose,_ I don't.

While Jacob's laughing and I'm trying to understand the point of love triangles, Billy comes in with a lot of other people. Tall, majestic looking people. I wish that I could look the way they do. Stately. Authoritative. They all stand around the couch and look down at me. A strand of my hair flickers from brown to black. I lengthen it and pull it into my mouth nervously. I hate being stared at. When people stare at me they can see my flaws. And because I'm humoring Jacob, I have a lot of them. The men go around the circle introducing themselves. Jacob peers at me and makes a strange face.

"I assume Jacob told you the prophecy?" an old man with a kind face asks.

I nod. I'm horrible at remembering names in situations like this. If my hair would just _stop_ then I could control myself enough to think.

"The part I know," Jacob confirms.

 _There's more_?

"Because of this, it is our duty to protect you. You will live here with us," Billy says.

"With you?" I ask.

I guess it is better than whatever magical group home I was headed to, but it all seems too put together. Too easy. They aren't saying much. I can tell the real meeting happened while we were watching the movie and I don't like that they made plans for me without me, even though I don't mind staying.

"We're going to buy some stuff for him, then," Jacob says, "is that alright?"

Everyone agrees and then, surprisingly, starts handing money to him.

"We provide for our own," the kindly man says to my confused expression.

I'm their own? Just like that, I'm one of them? There must be more to this prophecy if they're treating me like, like I'm _Remus_ Lupin instead of Teddy Lupin.

Escape, as easy as that. Jacob bumps his shoulder against mine.

"Let's go," he says.

So we go.


	2. It's the Staying That Gets Hard

"I almost couldn't take it in there and they were completely ignoring me. Did you get a lot of attention before you were all saviory?" Jacob asks.

"No, I wasn't," I say.

He rests his elbows on my head.

"I don't understand why,"" he says, "Do you want to go do a thing?"

I shrug out from underneath his elbow.

"This is why I need to be taller," I grumble.

He pinches my cheek. Why is he so.. so _comfortable_? I don't understand how he can turn a stranger, me, into a friend so easily with no hesitation.

"Let's go do something," Jacob says.

"We're _shopping_ ," I insist.

Then I grab his arm and march into town, which probably takes several minutes longer than necessary because I get lost twice,.

"You going to let me take you where you're going now?" Jacob asks.

"You don't _know_ where I'm going!" I say.

"There's nothing in Forks, Teddy. We need to get my dad for that. You were uncomfortable, I could tell, and I made an excuse. We aren't shopping," he says.

I pull my hand away from his and reach for my sweatshirt string while backing up.

"Er," I say.

"Your hair is twitching. Come meet Quil and Embry," he suggests.

I shrug my shoulders and follow along even though I should be going to the Wizarding World and making friends. I should buy a book or two to practice everything I would've learned at Hogwarts. I should write an apology letter to Andromeda. Instead, I follow Jacob.

I swing my feet against the warm metal of the stool outside Shwartz' Icecream Parlor. It's a quaint little place just on the edge of Wizarding America. The cone I'm licking now isn't as good as any I've ever gotten from Florian's, but it's delicious anyway. I turn the pages of a book on Muggle culture while I eat. It's the first time in three days that I haven't been standing right next to Jacob. I was starting to feel that he's _required_ to be my friend, honestly. Like he's getting paid to talk to me by the hour. There's no other explanation for his constant _closeness_ , there isn't another way to explain why he compliments me. 50 cents a compliment, 5 bucks an hour. I'm sure of it. It's too sincere, there's just nothing else it could be.

I've never really had a friend before. Albus Severus Potter, a whole mouthful of a name and a handful of a person, was always around because Mr. Potter and Andromeda are friends but I never had anything in common with him. I tolerated his presence, as he tolerated mine.

Someone stands just outside of my peripheral vision. I can just feel it. I turn a page and add a slight curl to my hair to distract myself. He sits down opposite me. I look up.

"Can I help you?" I ask.

"Of course you can help me, beautiful. You can tell me your name," he says.

I tuck my stupid hair behind my ear.

"Teddy," I say.

"That's a neat trick. Are you a Metamorphmagi?" he asks.

I nod.

"Who are you?" I ask.

I really need to gain control over my stupid hair before school starts. That'll give me away faster than anything else I could do wrong. This memorizing of the culture won't matter if I _change colors_ in front of them. And I highly doubt I'll be lucky enough to have a prophecy preventing me from breaking the law next time around.

"Dempsey Joel Saylor. Pretentious load of crap, isn't it? Just call me Joel," he says.

That's the kind of name I always wished that I had. Something cool and distinguished like a name a Malfoy would have. Scorpius Malfoy has always been someone I looked up to. I don't know why. I guess it's because his father wasn't this perfect hero. He made mistakes and he chose the wrong side but he does all this wonderful stuff to make up for it and doesn't care if no one ever knows. Scorpius may have been the closest thing to my only friend at Hogwarts, at least until Andromeda found out.

"I like your name, Dempsey," I say.

He smiles.

"It sure sounds nice coming out of your lips. Call me whatever you like," Dempsey says.

I was going to do that anyway, but alright.

"New here? I've never seen you at Straxifrey before, and you certainly aren't a first year," he says after I'm silent for what must be too long.

"New here. Yes. I just came from Hogwarts but I'm not going to.. they don't accept transfers.," I say.

"Shame," he says.

I yank on my sweatshirt string, almost too hard, and look down into my lap. Why it's a shame, I'll never know.

"Just ran out of beetle eyes and had to get more before school goes back. Are you busy?" he asks.

Well there was the rest of season two and that whole box of hot pockets…. And I'm sure Jacob would love to show me something or another.

"Not really," I say.

"Great. You're busy now. Let me show you around America, little British wizard. We can go anywhere, _everywhere_ ," he says.

This sounds suspiciously like a date and I say so. I've watched enough episodes of Glee to spot one.

"Very clever, Teddy. We've got all this time before we have to be responsible. Let's run away," he says.

I mumble something sensible about just having met him and depriving my family of my birthday celebration. Funny how I refer to them as my family, but I didn't have any trouble doing the same to my Andromeda, my actual grandmother.

"The whole nation at your fingertips. Or.. maybe something Muggle?" he says while looking at the book in my hands, "To help you practice. Movies, malls, all that Muggle stuff."

Why is he trying so hard to get my attention? I'm no one special.

"Sounds like a good time," I say awkwardly.

"Glorious. Just let me," he says while leaning forward to lick a drip from my icecream cone.

I drop it and yelp while taking a step backwards. He grabs my wrist, his eyes dangerous, and whisks me to the movie theater. In Forks.

"How do you know where this is?" I ask.

"We used to live here when I was little. We live in Seattle now, but I remember it well," Dempsey says.

Isn't that convenient? I stand there trying to decide whether or not I want to leave when Quil comes up to us.

"Hey, Teddy. Who is this?" Quil asks.

This means Jacob might be nearby. I actually want Jacob to show up, for once. While he's here I can make decisions more easily. Dempsey won't try anything until I manage to figure out what I'm thinking.

"I'm Joel," Dempsey says.

"Oh, did you learn from your mistake?" I ask.

He winks at me and whispers, "Adorable wizards get special privileges."

"Where's Jacob?" I ask Quil.

I manage to let only a tiny bit of panic color my voice. I feel a tug on one of my curls.

"Here I am, Tedward. What movie are you two watching?" Jacob asks.

"It's Edward and I would prefer it if you'd never mention it again," I grumble.

Jacob smiles.

Still, I smile at him gratefully. Honestly, I can't tell if my luck is good or bad what with the boys _everywhere_.

"I don't know yet," I say.

Quil spreads out the tickets in his hand and laughs.

"Four- but how did you-?" I say.

"Don't ask questions," Jacob says.

"What if we already had tickets?" I ask.

"I do so love new friends," he smiles.

Dempsey takes a ticket with a thin smile. He walks into the theater quickly, dragging me behind him. We buy a tub of popcorn. I lead him into the room, point to a seat, and say,

"Sit and be silent."

"But how will I offer you popcorn? How will I make a whispered joke that makes you smile the way he did. How will I-?" he asks.

I take the popcorn from him with a smirk and take my own seat. I twist the string of my sweatshirt between my finger and my thumb distractedly while watching yet another ridiculous Muggle movie. They're all romances, even the gruesome ones. I wonder why they're so obsessed.

"What did you do to your hair?" Jacob whispers in my ear.

I almost jump at his unexpected nearness.

"I thought it might look good," I say.

"It looked fine before," he says.

I roll my eyes.

"No, I'm serious. It looked fine the way it did before. Why change to impress him?" he asks.

"I meet another..person like me..and I can't look nice?" I ask.

Jacob reaches into the popcorn bucket. I lean back to avoid a mouthful of his arm. He rubs it into his hair.

"What are you doing?" I ask.

"Adding to the shine and texture," he says.

"Jacob," I say.

"It looks better this way," he says.

"Not really, Jacob. There's like, five popcorn kernels in it," I say.

He stares pointedly at me and then pats my head before going off to his seat, on the other side of Dempsey.

"He's wrong. It looks better like that. Maybe you should tousle it a bit too. And add some streaks," he says.

I shake my head a little to disguise what I'm doing to my hair.

What does Jacob know? It's probably all prophecy nonsense anyway.

"After my birthday there's still a week until school starts. How much exploring can we do until then?" I ask.

Dempsey smiles victoriously.

"I thought you'd never ask."


	3. Proximity

Jacob is unnervingly causal and almost overly comfortable with me. I, however, am _not_ as comfortable with him. Mostly because I am a normal person and it takes longer than a month for me to accept someone into my life as if they'd always been there. Hah! I'm actually the normal one. But it has been less than a month, hardly three weeks if it matters, but I hardly ever count anything. I just don't find it important. And I haven't decided how I feel about him yet. His head lies on my shoulder. I haven't shrugged him off simply because I'm amused and almost awed by the angle he's got his spine at in order to reach my miniscule shoulder.

"It's almost your birthday, Teddy," Jacob says.

"Are you comfortable?" I ask.

There almost isn't enough sarcasm in my question because I am truly concerned. Bones are _not_ supposed to do that.

"Actually, I am. You're very soft, but don't change the subject. It's almost your birthday," he says.

I smile.

"So, what? We go to a movie and eat at the diner? Or maybe we go to Seattle! We always do that, there's nothing else _to_ do," I say.

As significant as my 15th birthday is, I don't want to celebrate it. I'm starting to wish I took Dempsey up on his offer, but I haven't seen him since then. I hate celebrating it. Everyone cries and pretends that they aren't thinking about what my parents would think if they were here to gaze upon my tiny, pale body. If I was them I'd suggest donuts and straight butter, along with several hours in the sun. I would make sure I wasn't dying or something. They wouldn't be proud of me. My birthday is just one more thing to remind me of that.

"You don't want to celebrate your birthday?" Jacob asks, scandalized.

"Er..no. Birthdays aren't my thing," I say.

He looks into my eyes and says- _whines_ -  
"But, Teddy! I want to do something for you. They're all going to, you know they will. I want to do something you actually want."

Do I want anything? Wouldn't it just be easier to ignore everything? There's already Christmas to worry about. I hope no one gets me anything.

"My birthday is right after Christmas. I don't need anything," I say.

"Then I'll get you the best Christmas gift in the world," he says warmly.

* * *

The strand of hair above my eye changes from sandy brown to black and back again. I tug it behind my ear. I eat a slice of roast beef from the bowl that was balancing beside me on the arm of the couch and avoid eye contact. I think I know what's flustering me.

"Is this really necessary?" I ask Billy.

He smiles and shakes the glittery thing at me again. "Teddy" it declares proudly in gold flakes of much too much joy.

"Hang it up by the fire," he suggests.

"Billy," I say.

He places the stocking in my hand.

"Your first.. what was it? Muggle Christmas. I want to do it right," Billy says.

I sigh and hang the red stocking up by the fire. It mocks me, in Gryffindor colors. I'm a Hufflepuff, like mum, I think in my head aggressively at the dumb thing. Why, I'll never know.

Jacob and Embry come panting in with a tree in their hands.

"Why is there a tree inside the house?" I ask.

"For Christmas!" Jacob says.

"For Christmas," Embry agrees with a nod.

I shake my head in confusion.

"I don't see the connection," I say.

"Santa Claus puts presents under the tree for good children. So you have to have a tree," Jacob says.

"I will be a legal adult in three days," I say flatly.

"But Christmas!" he insists.

I sigh.

"Humor him, Teddy. It's the best for all of us," Billy says.

Easy for you to say. He asked twice for a Christmas tree and you let him. I roll my eyes.

"Alright," I sigh heavily.

* * *

"Jacob, I told you not to!" I say.

He pats my head and pushes the small present into my hands. I was hoping the holiday wouldn't be celebrated on the reservation, even with all the lights and stockings Jacob had been hanging about. It isn't that I don't like getting presents, I love them, but I feel like I don't deserve them. I pull open the wrapping paper.

"I didn't. Well, I did.. but I made it myself," he says.

I pull out the little silver necklace and stare at it. The centerpiece is a wooden dreamcatcher and it lies on a braided silver and blue string. I stare at it.

"Do you like it?" he asks.

I stare at it a little longer, then I thrust it at him. His face falls. I turn my back to him and stand there. My entire face is pink and my hair will soon follow suit if he doesn't get a clue soon. He carefully places it around my neck. I stare fervently at the floor.

"Thank you, Jacob. I love it," I say quietly.

When I work up the nerve to turn around (and have gained control of my hair) he's perched on the couch and gnawing on the Wizard candy I gave him. I wonder if he cares that my present is less meaningful than his. Doesn't last as long. He crosses the room in three strides and pulls me into a tight hug.

"Caught you," he whispers, the words barely audible.

Almost like they weren't supposed to be.

He lets me go with a flick at my necklace. I kick my foot at the carpet.

"And since I've caught you, I get three wishes," he says with a large, dopey smile.

"I'm not a genie!" I say.

"Wish one: when you go to Forks High School I want to go with you," Jacob says.

"You'll just do what you want anyway," I grumble, "What's your second wish?"

He shrugs, smiles, and goes to sit next to Billy who has been watching the whole exchange with amusement and- something else.

I sigh.

I attempt to stare at the stupid thing in contempt but I can't force myself to. Emerald icing spread crookedly looks back at me under the equally stupid words. _He just doesn't listen_. But I can't think it, even for a second. Jacob tried to make my birthday special. He remembered my favorite color is emerald. I've never had a friend who cared so much. I've hardly had friends at all and now I'm looking down at this misshapen cake that he clearly made by himself and I- I love it.

"Sundays at Tiffany's is on," Jacob says.

His voice draws me out of the kitchen. It _is_ my favorite movie, but I refuse to admit it.

"I don't know why she even bothers. It's always the best friend," I say while plopping onto the couch and accepting a roast beef Hot Pocket and a cherry Coke.

"Happy birthday, Teddy," Billy says as he wheels out of the house.

I wonder where he's going now. Probably to make a spectacle of the unspectacular date of December 27th. I'm happy with what I have now, Coke and sappy love stories.

"What are you talking about, Teddy? It's _never_ the best friend," Jacob says.

I narrow my eyes at him.

"Always," I say.

"Never."

" _Always!"_

"You're my best friend, Teddy," Jacob says.

I lean in close.

"I'll never change my opinion, Jacob. It's always the best friend. Always," I say.

Behind me, the movie ends. Jacob's eyes slip down to the necklace resting at my collarbone.

"I'm supposed to take you to the beach now," he says.

I pull back and rub my cheek, forcing it to stay pale. The beach is over decorated and full of smiling people, as I expected. I lose my battle with my cheeks.

"Er..thanks," I say, "Thank you for coming, thank you for the presents, thank you, thank you."

It becomes my chant. Embry hovers near me. I flash him an unsuccessful smile.

"You look uncomfortable," he says.

I point at the giant pile of presents and all of the people standing around.

"It's overwhelming," I admit quietly.

He bumps his shoulder against mine.

"Ted- is it really so bad?" he asks.

"Yes. It is that bad. They don't even know me," I say.

He shrugs. I watch the people in the crowd dance.

"So you've got Jacob going to public school," Embry says.

"I guess. Mostly he makes demands and I give in," I say.

He laughs. I bring my hand up to my necklace.

"What?" I ask.

"Nothing," he laughs.

Horrible liar, this boy.

"Hey, birthday boy!" Quil says loudly.

I give him a little wave.

This is all too much. The prophecy, the presents. My breath goes shallow and I close my eyes. I wish that I could just go back inside and eat my lopsided cake. I want to study because the placement tests put me in junior science and math instead of freshman classes. Probably due to my ill supervised tutor. I want-

"Teddy. Calm down, it's alright," Jacob says.

I turn around. He takes ahold of the hand clutching my necklace and squeezes it.

"Is it?" I ask.

He always knows what I'm thinking. Why? He hardly knows me. Why does he care so much? Jacob lifts his hand, but it's twisted so that only one finger is pointed up.

"Wha-?"

Jacob punches my shoulder.

"It's in my left pocket," he says.

What is?

I reach into his pocket and find- my chocolate? Oh, when I gave him candy for Christmas. He must've realized how much I eat. That I eat chocolate when I'm stressed out and missing the oppressive tranquility that was life with only Andromeda and I. I savor it slowly.

"Better?" he asks.

"Better," I say with a smile.

He lets go of my hand and gives me a quick hug. Embry walks past us laughing hysterically and Quil runs after him howling. I shrug my shoulders and go off to open my presents with a little square of chocolate in my pocket.


	4. Schooled

**An: ~text messages ~ I'm sorry, I'm horrible. I hope to update more regularly but everything has been insane**

A stupid, unnecessary fan blows my papers off my desk. I pick them back up and attempt to stack them neatly, to no avail. I can feel the heated gaze of my lab partner.I drag my finger across the coiled metal of my notebook at a snail's pace while counting breaths. All of my attention is focused on keeping my j hair the same color. His deep red eyes make it difficult to stop the stand just above my ear from doing its usual embarrassed panic. Red. He thinks that I don't notice. But as long as no one gets hurt, I don't mind. My pocket buzzes. I grab for it with one hand while pulling at the unraveling string of my sweatshirt. I place the string into my mouth and look down.

~How's smart people class? ~

 _~oh, it's alright. My lab partner keeps starting at me. ~_

I nod and pretend to write notes down

~ _staring*~_

The moist string is starting to bother me so I spit it out.

~who's your lab partner? ~

I twist the dreamcatcher in between my fingers. I've forgotten his name, but if I ask him now he'll know know we're talking about him. Perhaps if I lean out he'll have written it on his paper.

"My name is Edward Cullen," he says.

What? I look at him with wide, startled eyes. He points down at the illuminated screen. I open my mouth and then close it. It's better not to say anything. I point it away from him to answer.

~ _Edward Cullen ~_

I stare down at the phone expectantly. Nothing happens.

"Mitochondria," I answer the teacher.

Still no reply from Jacob.

I fill in the diagram. Edward still thinks I don't notice. The bell rings. I gather my things together and force my phone into my pocket. A boy rushes toward me.

"Woah," I say.

"Sorry. It's just.. I'm Mike Newton," he says.

"Teddy," I say.

He smiles.

"You're good at biology. I thought maybe," he says.

I push hair out of my eyes and then play with the third feather on my necklace.

"Could you help me pull up my grade?" he asks.

"The quarter just started," I say.

"I didn't do so well last quarter. I need the A," Mike says.

"Well, I guess..I can come over or something if you drive me home," I say.

My pocket vibrates. I smile awkwardly and check it.

~he's dangerous ~

~ _who says so? Anyway, he's just my lab partner. Tell Billy I went to Mike Newton's house ~_

~who's Mike Newton? ~

~ _why do you care? ~_

I smile at Mike.

~he'll ask me who he is. You know he will ~

~ _he needs help with biology ~_

I look up. That didn't quite answer his question, but I don't owe him an answer.

"Sorry, I just.. I had to say I wasn't going home. I'll meet you back here then?" I say.

"Thanks! You have no idea how much I need this," Mike says.

I shrug and walk away.

~sounds suspicious ~

~ _it's biology. I'm good at it. You sound like Andromeda. ~_

i consider this a compliment as "Andromeda" obviously cares if you live or die. ~

~ _she's my grandmother. Ask anyone in this building who Mike Newton is. Go ahead. There are five people in this town~_

whatever. Get slashed up ~

~ _you care too much. ~_

you don't care enough~

~ _whatever, Andromeda, I'm going and that's final! ~_

I turn the phone firmly off and shove it into my backpack before climbing in Mike's car.

"Hey, thanks for doing this," he says.

Keys in the ignition. Gas pumps through metal veins and I hold onto the door handle. Music wafts from the radio and I keep my eyes glued to the window. Edward Cullen locks eyes with me through it.

We move along the roads.

"Teddy, are you okay?" he asks.

I nod but say nothing. We pull into the driveway-his driveway. My grip on the handle never falters as I spill out of the door.

"Are you… afraid?" he asks.

I twirl the feather on my necklace between my thumb and forefinger.

"I'm a good driver, don't worry," he says.

Mike smiles at me, wide and genuine, and ruffles my hair. I lean into the touch.

"And my mom's home," he adds.

He leads me up the stairs with a, "Mom, this is Teddy. We're going upstairs," and a bored tour guide voice.

"And here we have a teenage boy's room. He's clearly into the supernatural, reading, videogames, and male supermodels,"he finishes.

I laugh. His room is neat.

"There. Relaxed," he says.

I throw open my bag and pull out my bio book. Mike sits on the edge of the bed and watches me. I lose myself in the chapter.

"Cell structure isn't really complicated. I have charts and-"I say, "what is it?"

"Nothing, keep going," he says.

I unclip a chart from my binder and go over it as best I can.

"Sorry, I talked for fifteen minutes about plant cells," I say.

I place my chart on the floor slowly and untie my shoelaces.

"No, don't be," he says.

I tie my shoes again.

"I mean it. Don't ever apologize to me for talking about something that makes you as happy as this color coded cell chart just made you. Ever," he says.

I take my shoes of. He chuckles quietly.

"Come here," Mike says.

I look into his eyes.

"What?" I say.

"There's something on the ceiling you need to see. Hell, I need it all the time," he says.

I decide that he actually wants me to look at the ceiling. Why I can't do it from here, I don't know. I gently plop onto the bed beside him. He lays back and looks at the ceiling, so I do the same. His arm brushes mine.

There, just the same as it was when I was on the floor but whatever, is a small plaque.

 _Those who danced were thought to be quite mad by those who couldn't hear the music._

"Who-?" I say.

"I did. Well, Nietzsche said it, but I made it. It's kind of dumb, but that's the point. I like woodwork and painting, so I made that. It isn't the best but I like it, so why stop?" he says.

I don't answer. I wind my fingers with his and we stare at the ceiling for a very long time.


End file.
